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• Santiago, the largest and most populated of Cape Verde's nine populated islands, has a mountainous, lush interior fringed by small sandy beaches. The island’s capital, Praia, is a lively, pleasant town with a good nightlife. Other attractions include Cidade Velha, the first Portuguese settlement on Cape Verde. There are ruins and old buildings and, on the hill above, the Fort Real de San Felipe, an old Portuguese fort. The attractive fishing village of Tarrafal features one of the island’s best beaches and contains the old colonial prison where the Portuguese dictator, Salazar, held dissidents from all over his empire in the first two-thirds of the 20th century.
• Make sure you check out Cape Verde's fantastic beaches: in particular, go and see the fine white sand beaches of Sal and the black sand beaches of Sao Nicolau. The ever-present sea provides great sailing. Surfing and windsurfing are available on Sal, although the surfing is not generally suitable for beginners. Diving is gaining in popularity, mainly on the islands of Sal and Boa Vista, which offer qualified personnel and equipment. These islands also offer good wreck sites. Water temperatures are good all year round, though the seas can be rough.
• Find the famous salt pits of Sal, after which the island is named, which produced salt for much of the former Portuguese empire.
• Listen to some live music on São Vicente. The island's most famous daughter is Cesaria Evora, an internationally-known singer who performs in the traditional style. The deep-water port of Mindelo is a lively town with old colonial buildings and a thriving local music scene. São Vicente’s Carnival is the liveliest in Cape Verde, while the traditional Baia das Gatas Festival, which usually falls in August, has become internationally renowned for the standard of its music.
• Unveil an abundance of unique plant life on Brava, a lush island with more rainfall than most, offering beautiful views of the coast from its plateau.
• Walk or climb amidst the spectacular scenery and rugged coastline of Santo Antão. It is one of Cape Verde’s greener islands and its interior contains forested hills. Many of the deep flat-bottomed valleys are the craters of extinct volcanoes, long overgrown by trees and tropical vegetation. Ribeira Grande Mountain takes a day to climb but is well worth the effort. The mountainous island of Fogo is also great for hikes with excellent views, and it also has an active volcano in its midst.
• Sample Cape Verdean rum or grog, produced on Santo Antão.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
• Make sure you check out Cape Verde's fantastic beaches: in particular, go and see the fine white sand beaches of Sal and the black sand beaches of Sao Nicolau. The ever-present sea provides great sailing. Surfing and windsurfing are available on Sal, although the surfing is not generally suitable for beginners. Diving is gaining in popularity, mainly on the islands of Sal and Boa Vista, which offer qualified personnel and equipment. These islands also offer good wreck sites. Water temperatures are good all year round, though the seas can be rough.
• Find the famous salt pits of Sal, after which the island is named, which produced salt for much of the former Portuguese empire.
• Listen to some live music on São Vicente. The island's most famous daughter is Cesaria Evora, an internationally-known singer who performs in the traditional style. The deep-water port of Mindelo is a lively town with old colonial buildings and a thriving local music scene. São Vicente’s Carnival is the liveliest in Cape Verde, while the traditional Baia das Gatas Festival, which usually falls in August, has become internationally renowned for the standard of its music.
• Unveil an abundance of unique plant life on Brava, a lush island with more rainfall than most, offering beautiful views of the coast from its plateau.
• Walk or climb amidst the spectacular scenery and rugged coastline of Santo Antão. It is one of Cape Verde’s greener islands and its interior contains forested hills. Many of the deep flat-bottomed valleys are the craters of extinct volcanoes, long overgrown by trees and tropical vegetation. Ribeira Grande Mountain takes a day to climb but is well worth the effort. The mountainous island of Fogo is also great for hikes with excellent views, and it also has an active volcano in its midst.
• Sample Cape Verdean rum or grog, produced on Santo Antão.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.